Hi, recently a friend of my family gave me a viola belonging to my friend's parents before him and their parents before them and whomever else before them. The inside label reads: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1713 or 1773, but I figured it was a 1713, as the last 2 years are in italics and it looked more reasonable to be a 1 than a 7. Its made in Czechoslovakia and on the left side of the label, there is a symbol of a angled cage with a violin centered in it and 2 letters surrounding the violin scroll "K I" I believe. There are also 2 other pictures above and below the cage that are connected to it which I have no idea of, the one being below the cage perhaps a globe and a nail or a hammer below the globe. The above picture looks to be of an animal. The viola is still in good condition surprisingly and I have had a professional string maker changed the pegs, strings, bridge, chin rest, tail piece, and the sound board. He also cleaned up the viola and had some scratches and dents worked on. I would like to know if this viola is really indeed a Stradivarius and/or the value of this impressive sounding instrument. Many thanks.
